Gill, who was vice-captain of the T20I side, was the most high-profile absentee when the national selectors named a 15-member squad for the global showpiece in India and Sri Lanka starting February 7.
With three league games still to be played, the former champions would need outright victories in all their remaining fixtures to harbour any realistic chance of making it to the knockout stage.
Iyer, who returned to international action after a long injury layoff following a spleen laceration with internal bleeding sustained during the third ODI against Australia in Sydney in October last year, said he was delighted to begin the series on a winning note.
Rinku Singh made a roaring return with a match-tilting 44 not out off 20 balls against New Zealand in Nagpur on Wednesday
Joe Root's all-round performance has helped England defeat Sri Lanka by five wickets in the second ODI at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Saturday.
Captain Oliver Peake scored a century as Australia beat the West Indies by 22 runs to book their spot in the semi-finals of the Under-19 World Cup.
Perennial finalists Delhi Capitals take on in-form Gujarat Giants in the WPL eliminator, with a spot in the February 5 final at stake.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav would want the attacking batter in him to front up and bolster his leadership against New Zealand when the five-match T20I series gets underway in Nagpur on Wednesday, serving as a final dress rehearsal for India's World Cup title defence in less than three weeks' time.
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'I think we have got a very settled batting lineup. Would not like to shuffle it around too much but when the need arises, you know we are flexible about it.'
Shreyas Iyer, Riyan Parag and Jitesh Sharma are the three names that Aakash Chopra has thrown in as potential replacements for the injured Tilak Varma.
If starting with Jitesh Sharma in the last three T20s in Australia felt like an experiment, his selection over fellow wicket-keeper batter Sanju Samson in the series opener against South Africa provided ample clarity over team management's thought process going in to the World Cup at home.
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Virat Kohli's stroke-filled 91-ball 93 set up India's win in the series opener against New Zealand.
South Africa sharpen spin game in attacking net session ahead of Eden Test
Travis Head said he was loving life as a Test opener after recording his third century of the Ashes series to help put Australia in a strong position after day three of the fifth Test on Tuesday.
Having already secured a place in the semi-finals, England will be hoping to acquire some quality workout time for their batters in their last league match against a beleaguered and rain-tormented New Zealand in the women's World match Cup, in Visakhapatnam, on Sunday.
'India never began well, and that's one of the main reasons they weren't able to chase these big scores,'
Delhi Capitals, the losing finalists of the first three seasons, have not made an ideal start under the new leadership of Jemimah Rodrigues. It is still early days but Rodrigues and Co. would be desperate to get their campaign back on track.
India defeated a spirited Oman in their final Group A match by 21 runs with Rana and Arshdeep giving away plenty of runs while taking a wicket each at the back end of the game.
UP Warriorz will start with a clear edge when they take on a struggling Gujarat Giants in Vadodara on Thursday, as the race for the remaining two playoff spots in the Women's Premier League heats up.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur said India achieved their objective of adopting a more aggressive approach during the T20I series win over Sri Lanka.
Ranji Trophy: MP enter quarterfinals; Saurashtra on brink of qualification
Tilak Varma posted some pictures and videos on his social media, showcasing his rehab process as he prepares to make a return to Team India ahead of the all-important T20 World Cup.
'It could be a slightly unpopular choice because he hasn't scored even 1,000 runs in List A cricket.'
The Indian selectors will be announcing the team for the three-match ODI series against the Black Caps, starting January 11 in Vadodara and there have been speculations about whether Pant can hold on to his place in the squad.
Kumble felt that Green would be most effective at the top of the order rather than in a finisher's role.
New Zealand coach Rob Walter said all-rounder Michael Bracewell's participation in the five-match T20I series against India is dependent on his recovery from a minor left-calf strain that he sustained during the recent third ODI at Indore.
India and Pakistan will meet on Sunday for what could turn into a decider for a semi-final spot, albeit with net run-rate a factor as well.
He added that to win Test matches in Australia, a team needs to do well in all three departments, which his side didn't do throughout the Ashes series.
Group C promises one of the most competitive battles at the T20 World Cup, with former champions England and West Indies joined by ambitious sides Scotland, Nepal and debutants Italy.
Yuvraj Singh was seen giving Sanju Samson some batting tips during a nets training, in a video posted on X.
Starc reached his second fifty of the series in 73 balls, striking eight fours, before England finally struck back. Archer ended Lyon's resistance, trapping him plumb in front for 9, and Australia were soon bowled out for 371 in 91.2 overs.
Delhi Capitals secure first win of WPL after scratchy run chase
England are unlikely to tinker with their side for the second Ashes Test against Australia starting in Brisbane next week despite being thumped in the opening match, their former fast bowler James Anderson said.
Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik has invited trouble with his criticism of the team's frequent batting reshuffle in the Champions Trophy with the board reviewing if it amounts to contract violation.
Atharva Taide slammed a century to power Vidarbha to a 38-run win over Saurashtra in the Vijay Hazare Trophy final.
Star batter Shubman Gill endured his second successive unproductive outing as Punjab faltered against Saurashtra spinners, going down by 194 runs on the second day of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group B match, in Rajkot, on Friday.
Suryakumar reshuffled the batting order to give the lower-order more game time, even pushing himself down to No. 11.
'Jitesh Sharma has shown he is quite a capable player. He can bat lower down the order and look to hit the big shots even with a slightly older ball.'
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